"THE KING OF MY KINGDOM."
The afternoon was very still. Overhead, the sky of October was mistily
blue, the autumn sunshine flooded upland and valley with a golden
glory; in the air was that quietness, that sense of waiting and
brooding, which marks an autumn day. From the cottages in the valley,
thin trails of blue smoke mounted straight into the veiled softness of
the sky. The touch of autumn's hand was already visible upon the
trees. In the copse over the brow of the hill, the hazels were
yellowing; the beech-trees showed orange and gold amongst their leaves;
the hawthorns wore a brave array of crimson and yellow leaves, and
bright red berries. Long ago the heather had faded, a soft dun colour
had taken the place of the royal purple, which earlier in the year had
carpeted the uplands, and the bracken blazed golden and brown upon the
moorland slopes. From the place where Christina sat, she could see the
white road that wound away across the heather to Graystone, and to
those far blue hills, about which the afternoon sun was weaving a veil
of light. In the valley to her right, the trunks of the pine-trees
were turning crimson in the sun's level beams, the birches' delicate
branches outlined against the blue of the sky, the soft amber of the
larches contrasting with the sombre green of the pines, and beneath the
trees, the carpet of bright bracken touched to gold by the sunshine.
From far away across the moor, came the sound of chiming bells, from
the copse across the road a robin sang his wonderful song of spring,
that will follow winter, of life that will come after death; and from
somewhere amongst the trees of the valley, a thrush was fluting the
first notes of his next year's song, that he had yet to learn. The
world was a very peaceful world on that October afternoon; and
Christina, sitting on a hummock of dry heather, rested her chin on her
hands, and looked over the wide landscape, with a great sense of its
abiding restfulness. The chiming bells, the robin's song, the
occasional soft murmur of the little breeze in the pines, harmonised
with the brooding peace of autumn, that seemed to be over all the land,
and the girl smiled, as she let the sense of restful peace sink deep
into her soul. She and Baba were spending a week with Mrs. Nairne at
Graystone, and on this Sunday afternoon, leaving the child in Mrs.
Nairne's charge, she had walked over the hill to the little churchyard,
to visit Margaret's grave.
In that sunny corner of the churchyard, close to the old grey wall, she
had found violets in bloom, filling the air with their sweetness just
as they had filled it on the April day, when Margaret had been laid to
rest; and Christina held some of the purple, fragrant blossoms in her
hand, whilst she sat looking out over the great sweep of country, to
the golden sky behind the hills. Her thoughts were very full of the
beautiful woman whose life had so strangely crossed her own, and from
her thoughts of Margaret, by a natural transition, her mind wandered on
to the remembrance of the man who had stood by her side, at Margaret's
funeral. She recalled the look of heartbreak in Rupert Mernside's
eyes, when they had met hers; she remembered that glimpse she had had
into the man's tortured soul. How many times since that day, had
Cicely speculated about Rupert's friendship with Margaret, wondering
whether he had cared for her more deeply than as a friend, discussing
the why and wherefore of his disappearance from the midst of his own
circle, whilst all the time Christina knew in her heart, that she could
if she would, have answered all these questions. She knew that
Rupert's feeling for Margaret was not merely that of friendship, never
had been friendship only; and she knew, intuitively, that his usual
round of life had become intolerable to him, after Margaret's death.
She felt an odd sense of triumph in her knowledge of him; of triumph,
and of awe as well. For to Christina's simple and straightforward
nature, there was something awe-inspiring, in this strange, intimate
understanding of another human being's soul.
Seated there upon the heather, she was so wrapped up in her thoughts
that she did not observe a figure moving slowly across the valley; and
not until the figure had detached itself from amongst the trees, and
was walking along the high-road in her direction, did she see that the
object of her thoughts was coming towards her. That he should have
come at that particular moment, struck her first as so extraordinary a
coincidence, that she could hardly believe the evidence of her own
eyes. But as the figure came a few paces nearer, she knew that she had
made no mistake; it was Rupert's face into which she looked, as she
sprang to her feet, Rupert's grey eyes that met hers with a smile,
despite their expression of haunting sadness.
"I never dreamt of seeing you here," were his first unconventional
words of greeting; "and yet it seems natural to find you."
Perhaps he was hardly aware himself why he spoke the last half of his
sentence, and although Christina's heart leapt as she heard it,
something within her seemed to respond to the spirit of his words. To
her, too, it seemed "natural," that they should meet out here on the
heather, in the sunlight, close to Margaret's grave. For the little
churchyard lay only just over the brow of the hill, and Rupert's
explanation of his presence on the moorland, was not needed by the
girl, who knew without any words of his that he had come to visit that
corner by the sunny wall, where the violets scented the air with their
fragrance. After that brief greeting, he made Christina sit down again
upon the heather, and flung himself beside her, his face turned, like
hers, to the western horizon. "I am glad they put those words on the
stone," he said abruptly; "whose thought were they?"
"I think I thought of them first," Christina answered; "they seemed the
fittest and most beautiful words for her."
"Love--never faileth," he quoted slowly, his thoughts going back to the
white cross, upon which the words were engraved, "Love never faileth;
yes, you could not have chosen a better epitaph for her. Her soul was
built up of love, and her love never failed, never for a single moment.
It is a wonderful thing--the love of such a woman. Perhaps, in all the
world, there is nothing more wonderful than a woman's love." He seemed
to be speaking his thoughts aloud, rather than addressing her directly,
and she did not answer his speech, only sat very still, her hands
folded in her lap, her eyes looking out towards the golden west, a
little smile on her lips.
"You know--I have been wandering over the earth--since--that day,"
Rupert went on, speaking with singular abruptness. "I felt like that
man who went out, seeking rest--and finding none. I have found none."
The ring of bitterness in his voice hurt the girl. She turned a
little, and looked down into his face.
"I am sorry," she said; "so very sorry."
"Are you?" he answered. "It is not worth while being sorry for a man
who has made a mess of things, as I have done."
"Why do you say that," she said quickly. "You made the most of a
beautiful friendship; you did Aunt Margaret no wrong in loving her.
You were always her helpful friend. And now----"
"Now?" he echoed when she paused.
"Perhaps you will think me impertinent for saying what I was going to
say," she answered, the colour creeping into her face; "but I was going
to say, now you will not waste your life, in regretting what is past
and over. You are not the sort of person to waste life in regrets. I
should think you would take all the best of the love and friendship,
and work them into your life, to make it better."
The words were as simply spoken, as they were simple in themselves.
Their very simplicity made an appeal to the man who heard them, for,
like all the best men, Rupert, man of the world though he was, had a
very simple nature.
"Weave the past into the future," he answered thoughtfully. "Not sweep
it away and try to forget it, but let it be woven into my life? Is
that what you mean?"
"Yes, that is what I mean, only you have put it into better words. I
never think it is quite right to try and sweep away a past, even if it
has hurt us. It always seems as if it must be so much better to use
all that was good in the past, and let it help to make the future
better. I don't think I believe in stamping things out, and burying
them, and being ruthless over them. Isn't it better to take the good
from them, and bury the rest?"
Rupert's eyes were fixed on the girl's face, which had grown eager and
intent over the thoughts she was trying to express, and as he watched
her a smile broke up the ruggedness of his own features. She was quite
unconscious of his gaze, but a soft colour had come into her cheeks as
she spoke, her eyes were very deep and bright, and the man who looked
at her realised that hers was more than mere girlish prettiness. She
had taken off her hat, and the sunlight fell upon the dusky masses of
her hair, showing golden gleams in its dark threads. Her eyes, green
and deep and very soft, made Rupert think of a stream in Switzerland,
beside which he had stood only a few weeks back, a stream whose waters
shone in the sunbeams, showing dark and green and soft in the shade.
The colour that had crept into the pure whiteness of her cheeks, tinted
them as a white rose is sometimes tinted; and for the first time Rupert
was aware of a faint, yet definite likeness, between the girl at his
side and the woman he had loved. Perhaps it was in her expression more
than in any actual resemblance between the two women's faces, that the
likeness lay, for something of Margaret's nobility and serenity, seemed
to be reflected on the younger countenance, and with that flashing
thought, there flashed into his mind, too, the words Margaret had
spoken to him, before she died. He had never remembered those words
again until now, and they recurred to him with extraordinary force.
"She would make a man who cared for her, a most tender and loving wife.
She has a sweet, strong soul."
"A sweet, strong soul." Those words rang in his brain with odd
persistence, whilst his eyes watched Christina's profile, as she sat
silently looking out again across the moorlands.
A--sweet--strong soul. And there was such a strange restfulness, too,
about the personality of the girl, young though she was; he remembered
how conscious he had been of that restfulness on the day when he had
sat and talked to her, in Mrs. Nairne's parlour. That same restfulness
stole over him now, and some of the haunting misery within him died
away.
"So you don't believe in a ruthless chopping away of the past?" he
asked, going back to her last words.
"Oh! no," she exclaimed vehemently. "I am sure we are meant to use the
past as a foundation stone for the future. Each thing in turn comes
into our lives--joy, sorrow, pain, difficulty; and they all have to
help together to build it up into perfection. But--I have no business
to be sitting here preaching sermons," she added lightly. "I must go
home, and relieve Mrs. Nairne of Baba, and write to Cicely, and----"
"No; wait here a little longer," he interrupted imperiously, laying a
hand on her arm, as she attempted to rise. "I am a returned traveller,
and you are to tell me all the news before you go back to Baba, who, I
am morally convinced, is supremely happy with Mrs. Nairne."
"Supremely," Christina laughed. "She was going to help warm the scones
for tea; perhaps you will come and help us eat them," she added shyly.
"Baba would be so pleased if you came to have tea with us again."
"And you? Would you be pleased?"
"Of course," but she looked away from him as she spoke, and the soft
rose tints on her face deepened ever so slightly, "Baba and I were very
proud of giving you tea in the little parlour, last December."
"I liked that parlour. I have pleasant recollections of it," he
answered. "I liked the low ceiling, and the oak panelled walls, and
the queer old-fashioned furniture. Yes, I will come and have tea with
you and Baba to-day, but first tell me all about everybody."
"You know Cicely has married Dr. Fergusson?"
"I saw it in a chance paper. I have heard no details. I have simply
drifted over Europe, where my fancy, or the demon of unrest led me, and
I let nobody know where I was. I know practically nothing. Why did
Cicely marry the doctor? He is a thorough good fellow, but----"
"There isn't any 'but,'" Christina answered firmly. "Denis Fergusson
is one of the very best men in the world, and Cicely has been radiant
ever since--they were engaged. They were only married three weeks ago,
and I wish you could have seen her face, when she walked down the
church. You would not have said 'but' then!"
"Were her people annoyed?"
"A little, but only a little, and only at first. I think they
recognised how completely the marriage was for Cicely's happiness.
After all, Denis is a gentleman, an absolute and perfect gentleman, and
a good man; and those two things are all that matter."
"Yes, those things are all that matter. It is only sheer worldliness
that demands more. And if Cicely is happy, why--let worldliness go
hang. Poor little Cicely certainly needed a man to take care of her,
and Baba, and that big property; but--is Fergusson willing to give up
his work?"
"Cicely won't hear of his giving it up. The surgery in South London is
to go on as usual, and Cicely has insisted on having an assistant
there, to do the work when Denis cannot go himself, so that, as she
expresses it, she is not depriving a poor man of his living, in
allowing a rich man to profit by the surgery and its practice."
"I confess to being a little surprised that Fergusson ever got himself
up to the scratch of asking a rich woman to marry him," Rupert said,
with some hesitation. "It doesn't seem--quite like the man."
"It wasn't in the least like the man," Christina answered demurely.
"And--I'm afraid--I--made myself into a kind of--of matchmaker--or god
in the machine, or something of that sort."
Rupert laughed outright.
"It was all your doing, was it?" he questioned, looking at her with
smiling kindliness. "Did you----"
"I don't think I can exactly tell you how I--I--worked the trick," she
laughed a little confusedly. "But Cicely says it wouldn't ever have
happened but for me. And I am glad."
"So am I--very glad. Fergusson is a lucky man. A man who gets a woman
like Cicely to take care of him, may consider a part of every day well
spent, if he spends it in singing a _Te Deum_ of his own. And Sir
Arthur's lost pendant--was it ever found?"
"Yes; eventually the police traced the woman who had been in the
railway carriage with Lady Congreve's bag, and she confessed to having
stolen the jewel."
After these words, silence again fell between them, until Christina
once more made an attempt to rise.
"I ought to go back," she said, when Rupert's detaining hand again fell
on her arm. "Baba----"
"Why should you go back when I want you here," was the audacious
response. "I want you much more than Baba does."
The hand he had laid on her arm lingered there; over the latter half of
his sentence, his voice had sunk almost to a whisper, and the rose
tints on Christina's cheeks brightened. "I believe I have been wanting
you for quite a long time," he went on, deliberately, his eyes watching
how the colour came and went on her face, his hand still resting on her
arm. "Would you like to know how often, when I was wandering about the
byways of Europe, I thought of that evening in Mrs. Nairne's
oak-panelled parlour, when I told you so many things about myself?
Would you like to know how often you came into my mind?"
Christina's dark head was a little bent, her eyes were fastened on a
clump of bracken, blazing golden in the level sun-rays, her voice was
very low and a little shaky.
"I--shouldn't have thought you would remember me at all," she said, the
touch of his hand upon her arm filling her with a sensation of strange
gladness.
"On that afternoon I told you, I am sure I told you, how restful you
were," Rupert continued, speaking with an eagerness that gave him an
oddly boyish manner; "something in your personality rested me then, and
I have never forgotten it. You rest me now," he added suddenly, his
hand slipping from her arm, and folding itself over her hand. "I came
here to-day, feeling as if the world were a sorry enough place, and I a
poor fool who had messed up my life, and was at the end of my tether.
But when I saw you, sitting here in the sunshine, I felt as if--some
day--the sunlight might come back to my life."
"Could _I_--bring it back?" Her voice still shook, but she lifted her
eyes bravely to look into his face, and he bent nearer to her, and
gathered both her hands into his.
"Little Christina," he said. "I don't know whether it is fair, even to
think of asking you to spend your fresh young life in bringing sunshine
back to mine, but--because I am a selfish brute--because--I--want
you--I am going to ask you what I believe I have no right to ask you.
And yet--it was Margaret's thought, too--Margaret's wish," he added,
under his breath.
"Aunt Margaret's wish!" the girl exclaimed. "That I--that you----"
She broke off confusedly, trying instinctively to draw her hands from
his, but feeling his clasp tighten over them.
"Shall I tell you what she said to me about you the very last time I
saw her?" he asked. "I think she knew I was going to be very lonely,
and she spoke of you. I have not forgotten the actual words she used;
they came back to me just now, as I sat here beside you; she said: 'She
would make a man who cared for her, a most tender and loving wife. She
has a sweet, strong soul.'"
More and more vividly the colour deepened on Christina's face, and she
did not answer, because speech at that moment was a physical
impossibility. Only her hands lay passive in his grasp, she no longer
tried to draw them away.
"I think Margaret knew--how I should learn to need you," Rupert went
on, his voice vibrating along the girl's nerves, and sending little
thrills of happiness through her whole being. "She understood how much
you could help me, if you would."
"_If I would?_" she echoed, a tremulous gladness in her voice.
"But--I--am so young, so ignorant, not a bit worthy of--of all you
say," she ended incoherently.
"Could you some day learn to care for me, if I tried to make you care?"
was his answer. "Could you--some day--care for an old fellow like me,
who hasn't even the best of his life and love to offer you? Could you
do that, little girl?"
"I don't call you an old fellow," she said indignantly; "and--I--don't
think--I have got to learn to care. I--think--I have--learnt--already."
Very gently, with a sort of tender reverence, he drew her into his arms
and kissed her, then put her away from him again, and said quietly--
"Is it fair to you, I wonder; is it fair to you to take all your best,
and give you only the second best in return?"
"But if I would rather have your second best, than the best from any
other man in the world?" she said quickly. "What then? If it is a
greater joy to me to think of being your rest and sunshine, than to be
anything else in the world; what then?"
She put her hands upon his shoulders, pushing him a little further from
her, that she might look fully into his eyes. "I don't believe any man
really ever understands a woman," she added, inconsequently, with a
laugh.
"Where have you learnt your knowledge of mankind?" he questioned; "and
what makes you say we don't understand the other half of the world?"
"Because, if you did, you would know that when a woman cares for a man,
she would rather just be a servant in his house than go altogether out
of his life. Perhaps we all prefer the best, but a woman who cares,
would rather have the second best, than nothing at all."
"And are you a woman--who cares?" he whispered, drawing her back into
his arms, with a sudden sense of her sweetness, her desirableness;
"would you rather be----"
"You haven't asked me yet to be anything," she answered, with a touch
of audacity, that sat charmingly upon her--"at least, you only
mentioned rest, and sunshine, and--and intangible things of that sort."
"And if I asked you to be my wife?" His lips were very near to hers,
his voice in itself was a caress, and Christina's heart beats nearly
choked her. "If--I want you for my wife, little girl?"
Her answer was quite inarticulate, if indeed she answered him at all,
but she allowed him to kiss her lips, and Rupert knew that her answer
was given him with that kiss.
"You would not let any man kiss your lips, unless you loved him well
enough to marry him," he said, after a moment's pause, and Christina
looked at him with happy, laughing eyes.
"I would not let any man kiss me at all, unless I--wanted to marry
him," she answered; "and----"
"You want to marry me?" Rupert interrupted with a boyishly spontaneous
laugh, such as she had never heard from him before.
"Yes, I want to marry you," she said demurely, drawing herself away
from him again, and looking mischievously into his face; "and, do you
know, this--isn't the first time I--I have thought of marrying you?"
"What do you mean?" Rupert's mystified expression brought a dimpling
smile out upon her face.
"Do you remember the girl who answered your advertisement in the
matrimonial column of a certain Sunday paper? That girl----"
"Was it you?" he exclaimed. "Were you the girl to whom I wrote? The
girl I appointed to meet at Margaret's house? Could any coincidence be
more strange?"
"I was C.M. who answered that advertisement, because she was at the
very end of her resources, her hope," Christina answered gravely. "I
felt horrible when I did it. I felt you would think the very worst of
me for writing to you at all, but I was nearly in despair that day;
there seemed just a loophole of escape for me, if I found--you
were--kind and good."
"Poor little girl, my poor little girl." His arm drew her close. "You
wrote the dearest, most simple little letter. I never thought the
worse of you. I never thought badly of you at all. I made up my mind
to help you get work; and I recommended you to Cicely; at least, I went
so far as to tell Cicely I knew of someone who might do for Baba."
"But she didn't take me on your recommendation?"
"No, she said references were necessary, and----"
"And in the end she took me practically with no references at all,
and--the story has just worked itself out to this wonderful ending."
"Is it such a wonderful ending?" He helped her to her feet, and they
stood watching the golden sun drop slowly towards the golden hills.
"Is it--the ending you would have chosen for yourself?"
"When I told Baba fairy stories, the prince used to have a curious
family resemblance to you," she answered. "I--liked to make my fairy
prince like you--because----"
"Because?"
"Because--I think I knew you were the best prince in all the world,"
she whispered, "the king--of my kingdom."
THE END.
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BERENICE. 6s.
THE YORKSHIRE OBSERVER.--"More sincere work than is to be found in this
novel Mr. Oppenheim has never written. The subject shows the author in
a new and unexpected light."
MR. MARX'S SECRET. 6s.
THE SCOTSMAN.--"'Mr. Marx's Secret' has a wonderful power of
fascination: it is strongly written, and is certain to appeal to that
popular author's admirers."
JEANNE OF THE MARSHES. 6s.
BRISTOL MERCURY.--"'Jeanne of the Marshes' is charming and delightful
in the extreme; without a doubt it will be voted one of the best novels
of the season."
THE LONG ARM. 6s.
THE WORLD.--"'The Long Arm' is a clever story, which no one will lay
down till every line is read."
THE GOVERNORS. 6s.
THE GLOBE.--"'The Governors' is by Mr. E. P. Oppenheim--need more be
said to assure the reader that it is as full of ruses, politics and
sensations as heart could desire."
THE MISSIONER. 6s.
THE HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER.--"We have nothing but the very highest
praise for this book. Deeply engrossing as a novel, pure in style, and
practically faultless as a literary work."
CONSPIRATORS. 6s.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.--"The author must be congratulated on having
achieved a story which is full of liveliness."
THE SECRET. 6s.
THE STANDARD.--"We have no hesitation in saying that this is the finest
and most absorbing story that Mr. Oppenheim has ever written. It glows
with feeling; it is curiously fertile in character and incident, and it
works its way onward to a most remarkable climax."
A MAKER OF HISTORY. 6s.
THE STANDARD.--"Those who read 'A Maker of History' will revel in the
plot, and will enjoy all those numerous deft touches of actuality that
have gone to make the story genuinely interesting and exciting."
THE MASTER MUMMER. 6s.
THE DUNDEE ADVERTISER.--"It is a beautiful story that is here set
within a story."
THE BETRAYAL. 6s.
THE DUNDEE ADVERTISER.--"Mr. Oppenheim's skill has never been displayed
to better advantage than here.... He has excelled himself, and to
assert this is to declare the novel superior to nine out of ten of its
contemporaries."
ANNA, THE ADVENTURESS. 6s.
THE DAILY NEWS.--"Mr. Oppenheim keeps his readers on the alert from
cover to cover, and the story is a fascinating medley of romance and
mystery."
THE YELLOW CRAYON. 6s.
THE DAILY EXPRESS.--"Mr. Oppenheim has a vivid imagination and much
sympathy, fine powers of narrative, and can suggest a life history in a
sentence."
A PRINCE OF SINNERS. 6s.
VANITY FAIR.--"A vivid and powerful story. Mr. Oppenheim knows the
world and he can tell a tale, and the unusual nature of the setting in
which his leading characters live and work out their love story gives
this book distinction among the novels of the season."
THE TRAITORS. 6s.
THE ATHENAEUM.--"Its interest begins on the first page and ends on the
last. The plot is ingenious and well managed, the movement of the
story is admirably swift and smooth, and the characters are exceedingly
vivacious. The reader's excitement is kept on the stretch to the very
end."
A LOST LEADER. 6s.
THE DAILY GRAPHIC.--"Mr. Oppenheim almost treats us to a romance which
is full of originality and interest from first to last."
MR. WINGRAVE, MILLIONAIRE. 6s.
THE BRITISH WEEKLY.--"Like good wine Mr. Oppenheim's novels need no
bush. They attract by their own charm, and are unrivalled in
popularity. No one will read this present story without relishing the
rapid succession of thrilling scenes through which his characters move.
There is a freshness and unconventionality about the story that lends
it unusual attractiveness."
AS A MAN LIVES. 6s.
THE SKETCH.--"The interest of the book, always keen and absorbing, is
due to some extent to a puzzle so admirably planned as to defy the
penetration of the most experienced novel reader."
A DAUGHTER OF THE MARIONIS. 6s.
THE SCOTSMAN.--"Mr. Oppenheim's stories always display much
melodramatic power and considerable originality and ingenuity of
construction. These and other qualities of the successful writer of
romance are manifest in 'A Daughter of the Marionis.' Full of passion,
action, strongly contrasted scenery, motives, and situations."
MR. BERNARD BROWN. 6s.
THE ABERDEEN DAILY JOURNAL.--"The story is rich in sensational incident
and dramatic situations. It is seldom, indeed, that we meet with a
novel of such power and fascination."
THE MAN AND HIS KINGDOM. 6s.
THE FREEMAN'S JOURNAL.--"The story is worthy of Merriman at his very
best. It is a genuine treat for the ravenous and often disappointed
novel reader."
THE WORLD'S GREAT SNARE. 6s.
THE WORLD.--"If engrossing interest, changing episode, deep insight
into human character and bright diction are the _sine qua non_ of a
successful novel, then this book cannot but bound at once into popular
favour. It is so full withal of so many dramatic incidents, thoroughly
exciting and realistic. There is not one dull page from beginning to
end."
A MONK OF CRUTA. 6s.
THE BOOKMAN.--"Intensely dramatic. The book is an achievement at which
the author may well be gratified."
MYSTERIOUS MR. SABIN. 6s.
THE LITERARY WORLD.--"As a story of interest, with a deep-laid and
exciting plot, this of the 'Mysterious Mr. Sabin' can hardly be
surpassed."
A MILLIONAIRE OF YESTERDAY. 6s.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.--"We cannot but welcome with enthusiasm a really
well-told story like 'A Millionaire of Yesterday.'"
THE SURVIVOR. 6s.
THE NOTTINGHAM GUARDIAN.--"We must give a conspicuous place on its
merits to this excellent story. It is only necessary to read a page or
two In order to become deeply interested."
THE GREAT AWAKENING. 6s.
THE YORKSHIRE POST.--"A weird and fascinating story, which, for real
beauty and originality, ranks far above the ordinary novel."
FRED M. WHITE
THE WHITE BRIDE. 6s.
YORKSHIRE POST.--"A sensational but vivid and picturesque story, with a
plot so full of mysterious complications and development that it would
excite the envy and admiration of any past master of melodrama."
A QUEEN OF THE STAGE. 6s.
LIVERPOOL POST.--"A story full of mystery and of dramatic incident. It
is wholesome, absorbing, and capably written."
THE FOUR FINGERS. 6s.
BLACKBURN TIMES.--"It is a live and bustling story, which once begun
will not be dropped until the end."
THE FIVE KNOTS. 6s.
WESTERN DAILY PRESS.--"Mr. White has written several books, all of
which have been enjoyed by a large number of readers, who will welcome
his latest contribution, and probably agree that it is the best thing
he has done."
THE SUNDIAL. 6s.
THE NORTHERN WHIG.--"In the already extensive list of Mr. White's
novels it would be difficult to find one superior to the present story,
which holds the reader's attention from start to finish."
THE CORNER HOUSE. 6s.
THE WESTERN MORNING NEWS.--"It is an excellent romance which will be
eagerly read."
THE SLAVE OF SILENCE. 6s.
THE SHEFFIELD TELEGRAPH.--"Attention is arrested at the outset, and so
adroitly is the mystery handled that readers will not skip a single
page."
A FATAL DOSE. 6s.
THE STANDARD.--"This novel will rank amongst the brightest that Mr.
White has given us."
THE LAW OF THE LAND. 6s.
DAILY TELEGRAPH.--"Mr. White's new novel may be strongly recommended.
It contains enough surprises to whip the interest at every turn."
A CRIME ON CANVAS. 6s.
THE SCOTSMAN.--"The unravelling of the many tangled skeins is a process
that firmly holds the attention of the reader."
NETTA. 6s.
DUNDEE ADVERTISER.--"The author is an absolute master of sensation, and
tells his powerful tale in a way which grips the reader at once."
THE SCALES OF JUSTICE. 6s.
THE MORNING POST.--"As exciting reading as anyone could want."
LOUIS TRACY
SYLVIA'S CHAUFFEUR. 6s.
MORNING LEADER.--"'Sylvia's Chauffeur' is as pleasant a piece of light
reading as any one could desire."
THE STOWAWAY. 6s.
THE READING STANDARD.--"This is a romantic story of adventure
excellently told. The plot is worked out with great skill and
ingenuity, the characters are convincing and consistent, for Mr. Tracy
is a delightful story-teller and this is some of his best handiwork."
A FATAL LEGACY. 6s.
THE SCOTSMAN.--"In all the annals of fiction a more ingenious or
startlingly original plot has not been recorded."
RAINBOW ISLAND. 6s.
THE LITERARY WORLD.--"Those who delight in tales of adventure should
hail 'Rainbow Island' with joyous shouts of welcome. Rarely have we
met with more satisfying fare of this description than in its pages."
THE ALBERT GATE AFFAIR. 6s.
THE BIRMINGHAM POST.--"Will worthily rank with 'The Fatal Legacy' and
'Rainbow Island,' both books full of wholesome excitement and told with
great ability."
THE PILLAR OF LIGHT. 6s.
THE EVENING STANDARD.--"So admirable, so living, so breathlessly
exciting a book. The magnificent realism of the lighthouse and its
perils, the intense conviction of the author ... are worthy of praise
from the most jaded reader."
HEART'S DELIGHT. 6s.
THE DUNDEE ADVERTISER.--"'Heart's Delight' establishes more firmly than
ever the reputation which he founded on 'The Final War'; like that
notable book it has a strong martial flavour."
THE WHEEL O' FORTUNE. 6s.
THE PUBLISHER'S CIRCULAR.--"Conan Doyle's successor, Louis Tracy, has
all the logical acuteness of the inventor of Sherlock Holmes without
his occasional exaggeration."
FENNELLS' TOWER. 6s.
NORTH DEVON JOURNAL.--"An absorbing tale of love and crime from the
clever pen of Louis Tracy. The secret of the crime which forms the
basis of the plot is most skilfully covered, and the solution is a
genuine surprise."
THE SILENT BARRIER. 6s.
"The Silent Barrier" is a breezy romance of love and adventure in
Switzerland, comparable to an adventure story by the late Guy Boothby.
THE MESSAGE. 6s.
DUNDEE COURIER.--"Written In a clear and crisp style, abounds with
thrilling situations, in which love, jealousy, intrigue, and mystery
play an important part."
HAROLD BINDLOSS
THE PROTECTOR. 6s.
MORNING POST.--"Mr. Bindloss is always a sure find for a good story,
and in this one he has, if possible, excelled himself."
THE LIBERATIONISM 6s.
MORNING LEADER.--"This is the author's best novel, and is one which no
lover of healthy excitement ought to miss."
HAWTREY'S DEPUTY. 6s.
THE WESTERN DAILY MERCURY.--"The whole story is told with the most
spontaneous verve, and is tinged with a delightful element of romance
which renders the book complete in its appeal from start to finish."
THE IMPOSTOR. 6s.
THE QUEEN.--"Mr. Bindloss writes books which are always good to read.
His writing is uniformly good, and his books are always sane, intensely
interesting, and dealing with subjects that cannot fail to concern a
wide public. He has a real gift for telling stories, and the interest
that he arouses in the reader's mind on the first page he sustains up
to the last page in the volume."
HEADON HILL
A ROGUE IN AMBUSH. 6s.
READING STANDARD.--"A most ingenious and interesting story is this
latest creation of Mr. Headon Hill's nimble brain."
THE HIDDEN VICTIM. 6s.
THE ABERDEEN JOURNAL.--"To those who revel in sensational fiction,
marked by literary skill as well as audacity and fertility of
invention, this story can be confidently commended."
HER SPLENDID SIN. 6s.
PERTHSHIRE COURIER.--"Headon Hill has never told an intensely absorbing
story with more dramatic directness than this one."
A TRAITOR'S WOOING. 6s.
DUNDEE ADVERTISER.--"Its plot has the freeness and force of a single
inspiration, and that a peculiarly happy one."
J. C. SNAITH
FIERCEHEART, THE SOLDIER. 6s.
THE SPEAKER.--"There is real subtlety in this powerful study. The
novel is crammed full of the finest romance and most heart-moving
pathos."
MISTRESS DOROTHY MARVIN. 6s.
THE NOTTINGHAM GUARDIAN.--"Mr. Snaith stirs the blood, from the first
page to the last, carrying the reader along in a delightful state of
excitement, and all the characters live, move, and have their being."
LADY BARBARITY. 6s.
BLACK AND WHITE says:--"'Lady Barbarity' would cheer a pessimist in a
November fog. It is so gay, so good humoured, so full of the influence
of youth and beauty."
GUY BOOTHBY
THE RACE OF LIFE. 5s.
THE ENGLISH REVIEW.--"Ahead even of Mr. Cutcliffe Hyne and Sir Conan
Doyle, Mr. Boothby may be said to have topped popularity's pole."
FOR LOVE OF HER. 5s.
THE COURT JOURNAL.--"This book shows vivid imagination and dramatic
power. Moreover, sketches of Australian life, from one who knows his
subject, are always welcome."
THE CRIME OF THE UNDER SEAS. 5s.
THE SPEAKER.--"Is quite the equal in art, observation, and dramatic
intensity to any of Mr. Guy Boothby's numerous other romances, and is
in every respect most typical of his powers."
A BID FOR FREEDOM. 5s.
THE SHEFFIELD TELEGRAPH.--"As fascinating as any of its forerunners,
and is as finely handled. A fully written romance, which bristles with
thrilling passages, exciting adventures, and hairbreadth escapes."
A TWO-FOLD INHERITANCE. 5s.
PUNCH.--"Just the very book that a hard-working man should read for
genuine relaxation. This novel is strongly recommended by the justly
appreciating 'Baron de Bookworms.'"
CONNIE HURT. 5s.
THE BIRMINGHAM GAZETTE.--"One of the best stories we have seen of Mr.
Boothby's."
THE KIDNAPPED PRESIDENT. 5s.
PUBLIC OPINION.--"Brighter, crisper, and more entertaining than any of
its predecessors from the same pen."
MY STRANGEST CASE. 5s.
THE YORKSHIRE POST.--"No work of Mr. Boothby's seems to us to have
approached in skill his new story. The reader's attention is from
first to last riveted on the narrative."
FAREWELL, NIKOLA. 5s.
THE DUNDEE ADVERTISER.--"Guy Boothby's famous creation of Dr. Nikola
has become familiar to every reader of fiction."
MY INDIAN QUEEN. 5s.
THE SUNDAY SPECIAL.--"A vivid story of adventure and daring, bearing
all the characteristics of careful workmanship."
LONG LIVE THE KING. 5s.
THE ABERDEEN FREE PRESS.--"It is marvellous that Mr. Boothby's novels
should all be so uniformly good."
A PRINCE OF SWINDLERS. 5s.
THE SCOTSMAN.--"Of absorbing interest. The exploits are described in
an enthralling vein."
A MAKER OF NATIONS. 5s.
THE SPECTATOR.--"'A Maker of Nations' enables us to understand Mr.
Boothby's vogue. It has no lack of movement or incident."
THE RED RAT'S DAUGHTER. 5s.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.--"Mr. Guy Boothby's name on the title-page of a
novel carries with it the assurance of a good story to follow."
LOVE MADE MANIFEST. 5s.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.--"A powerful and impressive romance. One of those
tales of exciting adventure in the confection of which Mr. Boothby is
not excelled by any novelist of the day."
PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN. 5s.
THE SCOTSMAN.--"This powerful novel is weird, wonderful, and
soul-thrilling. There never was in this world so strange and wonderful
a love story."
ACROSS THE WORLD FOR A WIFE. 5s.
THE BRITISH WEEKLY.--"This stirring tale ranks next to 'Dr. Nikola' in
the list of Mr. Boothby's novels. It is an excellent piece of
workmanship, and we can heartily recommend it."
THE LUST OF HATE. 5s.
THE DAILY GRAPHIC.--"Mr. Boothby gives place to no one in what might be
called dramatic interest, so whoever wants dramatic interest let him
read 'The Lust of Hate.'"
THE FASCINATION OF THE KING. 5s.
THE BRISTOL MERCURY.--"Unquestionably the best work we have yet seen
from the pen of Mr. Guy Boothby.... 'The Fascination of the King' is
one of the books of the season."
DR. NIKOLA. 5s.
THE SCOTSMAN.--"One hairbreadth escape succeeds another with rapidity
that scarce leaves the reader breathing space.... A story ingeniously
invented and skilfully told."
THE BEAUTIFUL WHITE DEVIL. 5s.
THE YORKSHIRE POST.--"A more exciting romance no man could reasonably
ask for."
A BID FOR FORTUNE. 5s.
THE MANCHESTER COURIER.--"It is impossible to give any idea of the
verve and brightness with which the story is told. The most original
novel of the year."
IN STRANGE COMPANY. 5s.
THE WORLD.--"A capital novel. It has the quality of life and stir, and
will carry the reader with curiosity unabated to the end."
THE MARRIAGE OF ESTHER. 5s.
THE MANCHESTER GUARDIAN.--"A story full of action, life, and dramatic
interest. There is a vigour and a power of illusion about it that
raises it quite above the level of the ordinary novel of adventure."
BUSHIGRAMS. 5s.
THE MANCHESTER GUARDIAN.--"Intensely interesting. Forces from us, by
its powerful artistic realism, those choky sensations which it should
be the aim of the human writer to elicit, whether in comedy or tragedy."
SHEILAH McLEOD. 5s.
MR. W. L. ALDEN in THE NEW YORK TIMES.--"Mr. Boothby can crowd more
adventure into a square foot of canvas than any other novelist."
DR. NIKOLA'S EXPERIMENT. 5s.
Illustrated by Sidney Cowell.
THE MAN OF THE CRAG. 5s.
ARTHUR W. MARCHMONT
IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE. 6s.
NORTH DEVON JOURNAL.--"A novel of absorbing interest. The plot is
developed very cleverly, and there is a delightful love theme."
WHEN I WAS CZAR. 6s.
THE FREEMAN'S JOURNAL.--"A very brilliant work; every page in it
displays the dramatic talent of the author and his capacity for writing
smart dialogue."
BY SNARE OF LOVE. 6s.
THE OUTLOOK.--"As a writer of political intrigue, Mr. Marchmont has
scarcely a rival to-day, and his latest novel upholds his reputation."
THE QUEEN'S ADVOCATE. 6s.
THE LIVERPOOL COURIER.--"Mr. Marchmont is at his best in this tale.
His resource seems inexhaustible, and his spirits never flag."
A COURIER OF FORTUNE. 6s.
THE DUNDEE COURIER.--"A most thrilling and romantic tale of France,
which has the advantage of being exciting and fascinating without being
too improbable."
BY WIT OF WOMAN. 6s.
THE LEICESTER POST.--"The novel rivets the deep interest of the reader,
and holds it spellbound to the end."
IN THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM. 6s.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.--"A well-sustained and thrilling narrative."
THE LITTLE ANARCHIST. 6s.
THE SCOTSMAN.--"A romance brimful of incident and arousing in the
reader a healthy interest that carries him along with never a pause."
AN IMPERIAL MARRIAGE. 6s.
SCOTSMAN.--"The action never flags, the romantic element is always
paramount, so that the production is bound to appeal successfully to
all lovers of spirited fiction."
JOSEPH HOCKING
THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD. 3s. 6d.
THE FINANCIAL TIMES.--"A strong knowledge of human nature, for which
Mr. Hocking is famous, is well portrayed in the pages of this novel,
and this, in conjunction with the interesting nature of the plot,
renders it particularly successful. The book will be appreciated by
novel readers."
ROGER TREWINION. 3s. 6d.
T. P.'s WEEKLY.--"It is a foregone conclusion that Mr. Hocking will
always have a good story to tell. 'Roger Trewinion' can stand forth
with the best, a strong love interest, plenty of adventure, an
atmosphere of superstition, and Cornwall as the scene."
THE COMING OF THE KING. 3s. 6d.
THE GLASGOW HERALD.--"Mr. Hocking's imagination is fertile, and his
skill in the arrangement of incident far above the average, and there
is an air of reality in all his writing which is peculiarly charming."
ESAU. 3s. 6d.
THE OUTLOOK.--"Remarkable for the dramatic power with which the scenes
are drawn and the intense human interest which Mr. Hocking has woven
about his characters. 'Esau' is sure to be one of the novels of the
season."
GREATER LOVE. 3s. 6d.
THE NEWCASTLE CHRONICLE.--"Though of a totally different character from
'Lest We Forget,' Mr. Hocking's latest story is entitled to take rank
along with that fine romance."
LEST WE FORGET. 3s. 6d.
PUBLIC OPINION.--"His story is quite as good as any we have read of the
Stanley Weyman's school, and presents an excellent picture of the
exciting times of Gardiner and Bonner."
AND SHALL TRELAWNEY DIE? 3s. 6d.
THE WEEKLY SUN.--"An engaging and fascinating romance. The reader puts
the story down with a sigh, and wishes there were more of these breezy
Cornish uplands, for Mr. Joseph Hocking's easy style of narrative does
not soon tire."
JABEZ EASTERBROOK. 3s. 6d.
THE ROCK.--"Real strength is shown in the sketches, of which that of
Brother Bowman is most prominent. In its way it is delightful."
THE WEAPONS OF MYSTERY. 3s. 6d.
"Weapons of Mystery" is a singularly powerful story of occult
influences and of their exertion for evil purposes.
ZILLAH: A ROMANCE. 3s. 6d.
THE SPECTATOR.--"The drawing of some of the characters indicates the
possession by Mr. Hocking of a considerable gift of humour. The
contents of his book indicate that he takes a genuine interest in the
deeper problems of the day."
THE MONK OF MAR-SABA. 3s. 6d.
THE STAR.--"Great power and thrilling interest.... The scenery of the
Holy Land has rarely been so vividly described as in this charming book
of Mr. Hocking's."
THE PURPLE ROBE. 3s. 6d.
THE QUEEN.--"Mr. Hocking's most interesting romance. It is exceedingly
clever, and excites the reader's interest and brings out the powerful
nature of the clever young minister. This most engrossing book
challenges comparison with the brilliance of Lothair."
THE SCARLET WOMAN. 3s. 6d.
THE METHODIST RECORDER.--"This is Mr. Hocking's strongest and best
book. We advise every one to read it. The plot is simple, compact and
strenuous; the writing powerful. It brings out sharply the real
character of the typical Jesuit, his training, motives, limitations,
aims."
ALL MEN ARE LIARS. 3s. 6d.
THE CHRISTIAN WORLD.--"This is a notable book. Thoughtful people will
be fascinated by its actuality, its fearlessness, and the insight it
gives into the influence of modern thought and literature upon the
minds and morals of our most promising manhood."
ISHMAEL PENGELLY: AN OUTCAST. 3s. 6d.
THE ATHENAEUM.--"The book is to be recommended for the dramatic
effectiveness of some of the scenes. The wild, half-mad woman is
always picturesque wherever she appears, and the rare self-repression
of her son is admirably done."
THE STORY OF ANDREW FAIRFAX. 3s. 6d.
THE MANCHESTER EXAMINER.--"Rustic scenes and characters are drawn with
free, broad touches, without Mr. Buchanan's artificiality, and, if we
may venture to say it, with more realism than Mr. Hardy's country
pictures."
THE BIRTHRIGHT. 3s. 6d.
THE SPECTATOR.--"This volume proves beyond all doubt that Mr. Hocking
has mastered the art of the historical romancist. 'The Birthright' is,
in its way, quite as well constructed, as well written, and as full of
incident as any story that has come from the pen of Sir Conan Doyle or
Mr. Stanley Weyman."
MISTRESS NANCY MOLESWORTH. 3s. 6d.
THE SCOTSMAN.--"'Mistress Nancy Molesworth' is as charming a story of
the kind as could be wished, and it excels in literary workmanship as
well as in imaginative vigour and daring invention."
FIELDS OF FAIR RENOWN. 3s. 6d.
THE DUNDEE ADVERTISER.--"Mr. Hocking has produced a work which his
readers of all classes will appreciate.... There are exhibited some of
the most beautiful aspects of disposition."
MARIE CONNOR LEIGHTON
GREED. 6s.
WESTERN DAILY PRESS.--"The story is teeming with graphic incident, in
which the descriptive powers of Mrs. Leighton are splendidly revealed."
THE BRIDE OF DUTTON MARKET. 6s.
CORK EXAMINER.--"Mrs. Leighton is the author of many sensational
novels, but the latest production of her pen surpasses any of her
previous works."
CONVICT 413L. 6s.
THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS.--"This her latest essay sustains in a marked
degree the authoress's proved gift of rich and fertile imagination."
JOAN MAR, DETECTIVE. 6s.
THE GLOBE.--"Readers in want of excitement will be quite happy with
this book, which will keep them in a delightful atmosphere of mystery."
JUSTICE. 6s.
An excellent story, well constructed, and the interest is kept going
till the last page.
PUT YOURSELF IN HER PLACE. 6s.
THE SHEFFIELD DAILY TELEGRAPH.--"A novel equal to anything her pen has
written."
MONEY. 6s.
THE BOOKMAN.--"'Money' unfolds a striking and vividly imagined story.
It is crowded with incident and excitement."
AN EYE FOR AN EYE. 6s.
THE FINCHLEY PRESS.--"We predict a great success for 'An Eye for an
Eye.' It certainly deserves it."
DEEP WATERS. 6s.
THE DUNDEE ADVERTISER.--"A story that admits of no breathing space from
start to finish."
CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS
NATURE BOOKS
"Picturesque, full of character, instructive, entertaining, often
thrilling--the stories are sure to be received with the same pleasure
as their predecessors have been by both the naturalist and the lover of
good literature."--ILLUSTRATED SPORTING AND DRAMATIC NEWS.
"Under the guidance of Mr. Roberts we have often adventured among the
wild beasts of the land and sea, and we hope to do so many times in the
future. It is an education not to be missed by those who have the
chance, and the chance is every one's."--The Athenaeum.
THE HOUSE IN THE WATER. 6s.
MORE KINDRED OF THE WILD. 6s.
THE BACKWOODSMEN. 6s.
KINGS IN EXILE. 6s.
NEIGHBOURS UNKNOWN. 6s.
L. G. MOBERLY
FORTUNE'S FOUNDLING. 6s.
MORNING LEADER.--"Miss L. G. Moberly is, as our readers are aware, an
extremely skilful weaver of mysteries, and remarkably successful in
keeping up interest in them."
A WAIF OF DESTINY. 6s.
IRISH INDEPENDENT.--"A work which bids fair to eclipse even the most
successful of the many deservedly popular works of fiction she has
written."
PHYLLIS. 6s.
THE SCOTSMAN.--"The book, clearly constructed and agreeably written, is
always interesting as a story and in its drawing of womanly character."
HEART OF GOLD. 6s.
DURHAM CHRONICLE.--"The book has been written with great cleverness and
charm, and we willingly place our full store of compliments on Miss
Moberly's splendid and successful book."
A WAIF OF DESTINY. 6s.
SUNDAY TIMES.--"A singularly interesting book, absorbingly thrilling,
the mystery being well kept up until the very end."
IN THE BALANCE. 6s.
THE LADIES' FIELD.--"One of the most interesting of all her homely
stories."
HOPE, MY WIFE. 6s.
THE GENTLEWOMAN.--"Miss Moberly interests us so much in heroine, and in
her hero, that we follow the two with pleasure through adventures of
the most improbable order."
DAN--AND ANOTHER. 6s.
THE DAILY NEWS.--"Must be considered one of the best pieces of work
that Miss Moberly has yet produced."
A TANGLED WEB. 6s.
THE DAILY MAIL.--"A 'tangled web,' indeed, is this story, and the
author's ingenuity and intrepidity in developing and working out the
mystery calls for recognition at the outset."
ANGELA'S MARRIAGE. 6s.
IRISH INDEPENDENT.--"That Miss Moberly has a delightful and graceful
style is not only evident from a perusal of some of her former works,
but from the fascinatingly told story now under review."
THE SIN OF ALISON DERING. 6s.
THE FINANCIAL TIMES.--"Miss Moberly writes with great charm and skill,
and the reader is not likely to put down the book until the tangle is
finally cleared up."
A VERY DOUBTFUL EXPERIMENT. 6s.
IRISH INDEPENDENT.--"Miss Moberly's former works have well established
her ability to write fascinating fiction and create interest in her
actors, but we doubt if she has ever introduced a character whose
career would be followed with more absorbing interest than that of
Rachael Boyd."
A WOMAN AGAINST THE WORLD. 6s.
THE SCOTSMAN.--"The whole tale is a powerful and enthralling one, and
cannot fail to enhance the growing reputation of the authoress."
BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
_A FEW PRESS OPINIONS._
JOY.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH:--"Miss L. G. Moberly has a remarkable talent for
making a simple story thoroughly interesting and satisfying. It needs
much skill and a good deal of charm in writing to achieve, this, and
her latest novel is a fine example of her power."
THE WESTERN MAIL:--"A thoroughly interesting and pleasant story. 'Joy'
contains really excellent work, and there is not a dull page in the
book or a pause in the story. The story throughout is absorbingly
bright."
HOPE, MY WIFE.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH:--"A tale which may be praised for the pretty and
simple manner of its telling and the distinct charm of its character."
ABERDEEN JOURNAL:--"Miss Moberly tells her tale so graphically, and yet
so sincerely that the attention of the reader does not flag for an
instant."
A VERY DOUBTFUL EXPERIMENT.
IRISH INDEPENDENT:--"A charming, attractive tale, ably conceived and
convincingly presented. Miss Moberly's former works have well
established her ability to write fascinating fiction and create
interest in her actors, but we doubt if she has ever introduced a
character whose career would be followed with more absorbing interest
than that of Rachel Boyd."
DIANA.
THE SCOTSMAN:--"The story is so cleverly handled as to keep its
interest always lively and stimulating; and the book cannot fail to be
enjoyed."
BRISTOL MERCURY:--"The story possesses a freshness doubly welcome on
account of the charm and skill with which it is unfolded. _Diana_ is
a novel well worth reading."
A TANGLED WEB.
DAILY MAIL:--"An ingenious and most unusual plot. The reader will
wonder and be amazed. A 'tangled web' indeed is this story, and the
author's ingenuity and intrepidity in developing and working out the
mystery calls for recognition at the outset."
FINANCIAL TIMES:--"This is an extremely well written and interesting
story, and ranks well with Miss Moberly's other popular works. The
plot is ingeniously carried through, and the interest thus aroused is
well sustained."
THAT PREPOSTEROUS WILL.
THE GLOBE:--"Molly is a bright, clever, affectionate damsel; and the
author has succeeded in making her as fascinating to the reader as to
her hero, Alan Dayrell."
THE NOTTINGHAM GUARDIAN:--"The story of Miranda's transformation from
grub to butterfly is one of very great interest, the character of Mrs.
Gray, the lady under whom she is trained for her new position in
society, being portrayed with a delicate but sure hand."
THE SIN OF ALISON DERING.
THE FINANCIAL TIMES:--"The plot of this story is cleverly conceived and
well carried out. Miss Moberly writes with great charm and skill, and
the reader is not likely to put down the book until the tangle is
finally cleared up. As a character-study, the figure of Alison Dering
is drawn with considerable insight."
DAN--AND ANOTHER.
THE MORNING LEADER:--"A clever and carefully wrought book. The
characterization is natural and satisfying, and the various situations
are handled with strength and humour."
THE DUNDEE COURIER:--"The plot is a strong one, and it is unfolded in a
most convincing manner, showing the inner workings of a woman's mind
and the birth of a hopeless passion."
ANGELA'S MARRIAGE.
THE IRISH INDEPENDENT:--"That Miss Moberly has a delightful style is
not only evident from a perusal of some of her former works, but from
the fascinatingly told story now under review. Her characterization is
charming and the style simple and delicate, with the result that the
book will be found most interesting and entertaining."
THE DAILY GRAPHIC:--"This capital story by L. G. Moberly is one of
those in which to a thoroughly well framed plot are added very
considerable skill in narration, and the results of her observation of
human nature."
A WOMAN AGAINST THE WORLD.
THE SCOTSMAN:--"The whole tale is a powerful and enthralling one, and
cannot fail to enhance the growing reputation of the authoress."
SHEFFIELD TELEGRAPH:--"Whilst full of dramatic interest it is told
quietly and gracefully."
THE NORTHERN WHIG:--"The plot is cleverly constructed, and is developed
with a skill and a fascinating narrative power possessed only by a true
master of the art of novel-writing. The characters, too, are carefully
and well drawn and finely contrasted."
LONDON: WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED.